Most people who work out in a gym don’t give importance to warming up and cooling down exercises. Cooling down your body after a good workout is as important as warming up before your workout. Cooling down a portion of your workout is especially important when you do exercises that increase your heart rate and strain your muscles. You must do a cooling down exercise for at least 5 minutes at about 40 percent of your training heart rate, as it will provide your body a transition period from your training heart rate to your normal heart rate. There are many benefits of cooling down your body after a workout. Some of the benefits are:
Gradually reduce your Heart Rate
You must do cooling down exercises if you want to maintain your health. You should not stop suddenly after you run a marathon or do exercises that increase your heart rate. When you do strenuous exercise, the heart starts pumping blood at high speed. When you stop suddenly, the heart may not be able to adjust to the change and you could feel dizzy. When you cool down property, your heart gets time to adjust to the change and you are able to breathe normally.
Reduce Muscle Soreness
When you do cooling-down exercises after a workout, you reduce the risk of muscle soreness. Doing cooling-down exercises will help in pushing out toxins and other lactic acids that build around the muscles when you work out. This reduces the risk of muscle damage and helps in strengthening your muscles.
Another reason why you must do cool-down exercises is that your muscle usually stretches when you work out. When you stop abruptly, it could leave your muscle in a misaligned state. Cooling down exercises will gradually bring your muscles back to their normal state.
Blood Circulation
The cool-down portion of your workout will help in improving blood circulation. When you do cool-down exercises, the blood is able to circulate throughout the body and is able to carry oxygen and other nutrients required by cells and muscles. Improved blood circulation also helps in repairing damaged muscles and promotes faster growth of muscles.
When you stop abruptly after your workout, the blood can get pooled around the muscles of your leg. This can reduce the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain, which can make you feel dizzy and light-headed.
High Hormone Release
When you work out, the body releases hormones like endorphins and adrenaline. When you stop your workout abruptly, your body maintains high levels of both these hormones which can cause a feeling of anxiety and restlessness.
